US2003010421A1PendingUtilityA1

Method for fabricating structural materials from used tires

32
Priority: Jul 11, 2001Filed: Jul 11, 2001Published: Jan 16, 2003
Est. expiryJul 11, 2021(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Joseph H. CoffinJerry Coffin
B29K 2105/26B32B 2305/70B32B 2319/00B29C 53/18B29B 17/0042B26D 3/005B32B 37/12B32B 2038/0016B29B 17/0036B29L 2030/00Y02W30/62B32B 2272/00Y10T156/1062B32B 25/042B29K 2021/00Y10T156/1075
32
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
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References
0
Claims

Abstract

A process for fabricating cord-reinforced-rubber structural materials from used tires and a cord-reinforced-rubber structural material. The process includes the following steps for handling and treating the tires: removing the side walls from the tires; removing at least some of the tread material from the tire to provide an essentially uniform tread thickness; cutting the tires in a transverse direction to provide elongated strips of tire material having at least some inherent curvature; removing at least some of the inherent curvature by compressing the strips to at least about 100 psi and heating the strips to at least 200 degrees F to remove at least some of the inherent curvature; mating the strips with a gum rubber adhesive; and bonding the strips and gum rubber adhesive by compressing them to about 100 psi and heating them to at least 200 degrees F. By removing at least some of the inherent curvature the strips of rubber material are more easily handled during subsequent processing. The structural materials produced typically take the form of boards and planks, but may used for fabricating other structures such as panels, walls, and bulkheads, among other things.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method for fabricating structural materials from tires, comprising: 
 removing side walls from the tires;    cutting the tires in a transverse direction to provide elongated strips of tire material having at least some inherent curvature;    treating the strips to remove at least some of the inherent curvature;    mating at least two of the strips with an adhesive; and    bonding the strips and adhesive to produce the structural material.    
     
     
         2 . The method as described in  claim 1 , wherein the treating comprises compressing and heating the strip to remove at least some of the inherent curvature.  
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the compressing is practiced to provide a pressure of at least 100 psi and the heating is practiced at greater than 100 degrees F.  
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the heating is practiced at greater than 200 degrees F.  
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the heating is practiced at between about 200 and about 300 degrees F.  
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the bonding comprises compressing and heating the strips and adhesive.  
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the compressing is practiced to provide a pressure of at least 100 psi and the heating is practiced at greater than 100 degrees F.  
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the heating is practiced at greater than 200 degrees F.  
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the heating is practiced at between about 200 and about 300 degrees F.  
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising removing at least some tread from the tires.  
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the removing of at least some of the tread comprises an abrasion process.  
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the abrasion process is buffing.  
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the tires includes at least one reinforcing bead and the method further comprises removing the reinforcing bead.  
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the steps of the method are practiced sequentially.  
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 1  further comprising sorting the tires by size and physical condition.  
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the tires are used tires.  
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the tires are used vehicle tires.  
     
     
         18 . A structural member, fabricated from tires, the method comprising: 
 removing side walls from the tires;    cutting the tires in a transverse direction to provide elongated strips of tire material having at least some inherent curvature;    treating the strips to remove at least some of the inherent curvature;    mating at least two of the strips with an adhesive; and    bonding the strips and adhesive to produce the structural material.    
     
     
         19 . The structural member as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the structural member is one of a plank, a board, a beam, a rod, a tube, an arch, a column, a post, a stud, roofing, and flooring.  
     
     
         20 . The method as described in  claim 18 , wherein the treating comprises compressing and heating the strip to remove at least some of the inherent curvature.  
     
     
         21 . The method as recited in  claim 20 , wherein the compressing is practiced to provide a pressure of at least 100 psi and the heating is practiced at greater than 100 degrees F.  
     
     
         22 . The method as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the bonding comprises compressing and heating the strips and adhesive.  
     
     
         23 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the compressing is practiced to provide a pressure of at least 100 psi and the heating is practiced at greater than 100 degrees F.  
     
     
         24 . A method for fabricating structural materials from tires, comprising: 
 removing side walls from the tires by cutting the side walls at a point below the tread;    removing at least some tread material from the tires to provide an essentially uniform tread thickness;    cutting the tires in a transverse direction to provide elongated strips of tire material having at least some inherent curvature;    removing at least some of the inherent curvature by compressing the strips to at least about 100 psi and heating the strips to at least 200 degrees F. to remove at least some of the inherent curvature;    mating at least two of the strips with a gum rubber adhesive; and    bonding the strips and gum rubber adhesive by compressing the strips and gum rubber adhesive to at least about 100 psi and heating the strips and gum rubber adhesive to at least 200 degrees F. to produce the structural material.    
     
     
         25 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the heating during removing at least some of the inherent curvature is practiced at between about 200 and about 300 degrees F.  
     
     
         26 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the removing of at least some of the tread comprises an abrasion process.  
     
     
         27 . The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the tires include at least one reinforcing bead and the method further comprises removing the reinforcing bead.  
     
     
         28 . The method as recited in  claim 24  wherein the steps of the method are practiced sequentially.  
     
     
         29 . A method for fabricating structural materials from tires, comprising: 
 removing side walls from the tires;    cutting the tires in a transverse direction to provide elongated strips of tire material having at least some inherent curvature;    treating the strips to remove at least some of the inherent curvature;    mating at least two of the strips with an adhesive; and    in a process distinct from the treating, bonding the strips and adhesive to produce the structural material.    
     
     
         30 . The method as described in  claim 29 , wherein the treating comprises compressing and heating the strip to remove at least some of the inherent curvature.  
     
     
         31 . The method as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the compressing is practiced to provide a pressure of at least 100 psi and the heating is practiced at greater than 100 degrees F.  
     
     
         32 . The method as recited in  claim 31 , wherein the heating is practiced at greater than 200 degrees F.  
     
     
         33 . The method as recited in  claim 32 , wherein the heating is practiced at between about 200 and about 300 degrees F.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein bonding is practiced distinct from the step of treating the strips to remove at least some of the inherent curvature.  
     
     
         35 . The structural member as recited in  claim 18 , wherein bonding is practiced distinct from the step of treating the strips to remove at least some of the inherent curvature.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein bonding is practiced distinct from the step of treating the strips to remove at least some of the inherent curvature.

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